


As If the World Wasn't Ending

by SwedishTaco



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Depressed!Sans, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Undertale Spoilers, bonefire, botched No Mercy run, can you feel the misery tonight, cross posted from tumblr, monster sign language, no specific sign language, sans does the dumb thing, sansby - Freeform, signing grillby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-29 00:41:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6352015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwedishTaco/pseuds/SwedishTaco
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He stared at the sign with no real explanation as to why he came here. This was the last place that he needed to be right now, but he couldn’t stop himself. It was almost automatic at this point to find himself in front of the bar with the snow swirling around him...</p>
            </blockquote>





	As If the World Wasn't Ending

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovelies, I'm back with a new story! Different fandom, same ole Taco. Enjoy this little piece of angst.

He stared at the sign with no real explanation as to why he came here. This was the last place that he needed to be right now, but he couldn’t stop himself. It was almost automatic at this point to find himself in front of the bar with the snow swirling around him.

Now that he thought about it, he couldn’t remember when it started snowing.

Breathing out a heavy sigh, his arm felt like lead as he reached out and pushed open the door. The warm gust of air that hit his face was almost a relief from the empty coldness he had been feeling since earlier in the day. He didn’t make a sound as he stepped into the bar and shut the door behind him, taking a moment to soak in the heat of the building.

He looked around, the space feeling empty and quiet without the chatter that usually filled the place. He should have known better than to expect any greeting to him, though he could hear the haunting echoes if he listened hard enough. Considering what had happened, well…He pushed the thoughts out of his skull. That wasn’t really something he wanted to think about right now.

Sans shouldn’t have been surprised to see Grillby behind the bar, considering that’s always where he found the bar owner. What did surprise him, however, was the man’s posture. The skeleton allowed himself a few extra moments of silence so he could watch the man.

Grillby was leaning over the bar, his elbows resting on the polished top, one hand having a loose grip on his glasses. The other was rubbing at his face, his fingers pinching at the area where the bridge of his nose would be. His eyes were closed, or at least Sans assumed there were, given that Grillby hadn’t noticed him yet, and his shoulders were hunched as if he was curled into himself. The flames around his head seemed…lackluster if that was possible, the color not as bright or vibrant as Sans was used to seeing.

For a brief moment Sans felt a pang of guilt, but it left just as fast. He couldn’t be sure that he was the cause of his friend’s distress.

He once again questioned his reason for being here, but came up with little other than his own selfishness. Because that’s all this was, right? It benefited no one for him to be here. If anything, it would only cause more undue pain, yet he couldn’t force himself to leave either.

Sans was pulled from his thoughts as a soft wisp of sound caught his attention. He’d known the fire monster long enough to tell it was his version of a sigh. He watched as Grillby seemed to press at where his eyes would be, before running his hand through the flames on his head. He perched the glasses back on his face and it looked like he was about to busy himself when he caught sight of Sans.

Grillby froze where he was, the flames around his head giving more of a crackle than before in his surprise. For a long moment the only sound in the bar came from the fire monster. The expressions shifting on his face were subtle, but Sans caught every one of them.

After a minute or two of near silence, Sans almost jumped when Grillby spoke.

“…Sans?” His voice was soft and raspy; it was rare when he used it, if ever. But even with severe under use, it still held heavy concern.

Taking a second to get over his shock from hearing Grillby speak - had he even heard it in this timeline? – he plastered his typical grin on his face and sauntered over to his usual stool like nothing was out of the ordinary. “hey, grillby.”

The fire monster watched him, a dark spot forming where his brows would be. It was a look Sans was well familiar with, but chose to ignore most times. Especially now. Grillby lifted his hands to speak, but stopped before he said anything. It was rare that he was ever at a loss for words, or didn’t know how to start a conversation. Any other time Sans would have found it amusing.

Now he just wanted Grillby to start so it could be over with sooner.

After a couple of false starts, the elemental finally let his hands move, though the movements still seemed stiff. ‘ _You…have not been here at all today…_ ’

Sans chose to ignore the implied question, the edges of his smile twitching upwards despite its tenseness. “were you getting _bonely_ without me?”

Grillby’s annoyance was clear, his signing taking on a sharper flow than normal. ‘ _Sans, I’m being serious. You haven’t been here all day. That isn’t normal. I was worried about you._ ’

Deciding to push his luck, Sans waved him off. “aw, i didn’t know you cared, grillby.” _i’m not worth worrying about_. He leaned against the countertop, his fingers idly tapping against the wood.

The center of Grillby’s face darkened, and Sans knew that his friend was getting irritated. The elemental made no move for a moment, watching Sans. It got to the point that sweat was starting to bead along the skeleton’s brow, but he kept up his nonchalant act. “heh, if i didn’t know any better, i’d say you were trying to burn a hole through my skull.”

‘ _STOP JOKING_.’

The sharp motions startled Sans, his eyes widening as he looked at his friend. The flames around the man’s head crackled, the sound reflecting his emotions. The temperature around them had risen, betraying the fire monster’s raising anger.

Grillby’s shoulders were tense when he signed again. ‘ _What aren’t you telling me?_ ’

Sans was about to deflect the question again, tell another joke, redirect the conversation, but stopped himself. What was the point anymore; nothing mattered. Soon enough everything would get reset and what happened here wouldn’t matter. What was the harm in telling Grillby what was going on, he wouldn’t remember it anyway. This would be the one time he let his selfishness win out, the one time he allowed his mask to falter.

It’s not like this could go pear shaped right?

He let out a sigh, closing his eyes for a moment. Sans felt decades older than he was, and he wouldn’t be surprised if it showed on his face. He knew the dark circles under his eyes were there, but he liked to think his smile almost hid them. When he opened his eyes again and looked at Grillby, he appeared caught between surprise and worry. The latter wasn’t a good look on him, Sans decided.

Sans leaned more of his weight into the counter, feeling more tired than he had before. There were times that he faked being normal he almost believed it to be true. He must have taken longer than he thought, feeling a sudden burst of heat from the fire monster.

Grillby looked ready to encourage him again, his hands already moving to start signing in anger, but Sans held up his hand to stop him. “i’m gonna tell you i just…” he trailed off, trying to best explain this whole cluster fuck. “i just need a moment to collect my thoughts.”

The bartender studied him a moment, that dark spot making another appearance. After a beat, Grillby seemed to let out a sigh, his flames calming. He reached below the bar and pulled out a bottle of ketchup, placing it in front of Sans.

He stared at it, tempted to reach for it out of habit, but stopped himself. _God, he was just so tired_. Sans felt the edges of his grin slip, but forced them back in place. In a move he didn’t think he’d ever do in his life, he pushed the bottle back towards Grillby. “got anything stronger?”

That seemed to throw the bartender off guard, his flames crackling in surprise. He paused a moment, that concerned, worried look coming back. ‘ _…how much stronger?_ ’ Was the hesitant reply.

Sans felt the edges of his smile twitch, a twisting in his ribcage almost making him bite back his answer. “what’s the strongest ya got?”

Grillby sighed again, resting his hands on the counter and looking at Sans closely. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say the fire monster was looking right through him…which normally would have been hilarious because he was a _skeleton_. Anyone could have seen _right through him_.

He laughed hysterically in his head, the sound closer to sobbing than laughing.

Time seemed to stretch on, and Sans could feel sweat starting to bead across his skull. He knew the request was out of character for him, he rarely drank, if ever, so of course it would be a major red flag to Grillby. But he waited, hoping that his friend wouldn’t question him, just give him what he wanted. It would be easier to tell him what was going on if his thoughts were numbed.

After what felt like an eternity, Grillby turned around and retrieved a bottle from the eclectic collection displayed behind the bar. He also received two shot glasses, which surprised Sans. He’d never seen the bartender drink his wares, in any timeline he could remember.

He gave Sans a serious look, hand still wrapped around the bottle. ‘ _Is Papyrus going to pick you up?_ ’

“papyrus is dead.” Sans didn’t even need to see what Grillby said, not after his brother’s name. His hand went to the red scarf peeking out of his jacket, the material wrapped around his neck. He stared off past the bartender, refusing to look at him.

Grillby flared, his head whipping in Sans’ direction in shock. The flames on his head became less controlled, waving and sparking to reflect Grillby’s upset. The temperature steadily rose around the fire monster, the heat licking against his skull, but it wasn’t unbearable.

Sans wished he could say that this reaction was surprising, but it wasn’t. As much as Grillby and Papyrus didn’t see eye to eye on many things, everyone in Snowdin was attached to the younger skeleton in their own way. Even Grillby. Sans remembered the bartender telling him in another timeline that he enjoyed the banter they shared on occasion, finding Papyrus’s antics amusing. Grillby even went as far as to make sure there was milk in stock when Papyrus made the rare appearance at the bar.

It was always on the house.

The dying heat grabbed Sans’ attention, and he allowed himself to look at the fire monster. Grillby’s shoulders were slumped, his hands on the bar as if it were helping to hold him up. His flames had died down, seeming weak in comparison to their normal ebb and flow. He even seemed paler than normal, which had Sans concerned. The elemental raised his hands several times to say something, but always stopped. After the third try, he managed to get one word through. ‘ _What…?_ ’

Sans was quiet, gaze dropping to the bottle on the bar. Against his better judgment he reached for the bottle, and when Grillby didn’t stop him, poured himself a shot. He stared at the dark blue liquid, rolling the glass between his fingers, but didn’t make to take a sip. “the human killed him.”

The bartenders head snapped in his direction again. Had the man had a spine, Sans would’ve been worried about him damaging his neck. ‘ _Human…what human?_ ’

He didn’t know? The human must not have stopped by then. This timeline was even more fucked up than he thought. Sans continued to look at his drink, his brow sinking into a glare. “a human came out of the ruins…” he trailed off, unsure how to finish.

Thinking back on it, he still didn’t know how he missed the signs. The human didn’t give him any reason not to trust them; they laughed at his whoopee cushion and seemed to genuinely enjoy his jokes, even played along with Papyrus. But as he kept an eye on the human, he realized that they weren’t sparing anything they came across, killing every monster in their path. And yet not one monster who saw batted an eye, not bothering to get help or warn those further down the road.

How could things have turned out so wrong? He should have picked up on things sooner, he should have _known_ something was wrong. _Why didn’t he know?_

Sans jumped when he felt a warm hand on his arm, blinking wide-eyed at Grillby. The look on his face made something sink in his ribcage. Shit, he’d said that out loud, hadn’t he.

‘ _What are you talking about?_ ’

He looked at Grillby’s expression, too much of a mixture of different things to pick any one out. Well, he’d already stuck his foot in his mouth, might as well just continue. “normally when the human comes out of the ruins, i can already tell how they’re going to behave. this time, i was wrong.”

Grillby furrowed his brows. ‘ _I don’t understand. I don’t remember a human before?_ ’

Sans’s sockets became sad, the forced grin still on his face. “you wouldn’t. no one ever does.”

‘ _But you do_.’ Grillby’s signs were slow and hesitant.

He sighed, starting to twirl the glass again. “yeah…i do.” _mostly_.

After a pause, the bartender nodded, straightening his posture. ‘ _We need to alert the guard._ ’

Sans let out a bitter and angry chuckle. “no point. they’re dead too.” At Grillby’s panicked expression, he waved his hand at the rest of the bar. “have you _seen_ any of the guard dogs today?”

That dark spot appeared again and Grillby looked about ready to leave his station, his previous panic clinging to him. ‘ _Then we need to tell Undyne._ ’

Sans looked at his glass, tempted to pick it up. “she’s gone too.” Instead, he let go of the glass and shoved his hand in his jacket. “saw her melt myself.”

The fire monster ran his hand through the flames on the top of his head, the temperature starting to rise again. ‘ _There must be…someone._ ’ Sans watched as Grillby attempted to form some sort of plan, but kept falling short. Then, there was an abrupt flash of heat and Grillby rested his elbows on the counter, his hands going to his face and head. “Oh gods… _Fuku_ …”

The moment he heard Grillby speak, his soul sunk. Shit, he hadn’t thought of that, he should have known better. Sans started to reach for the bartender, but stopped himself, letting his hands fall back on the counter. He didn’t have the right to comfort his friend in that way. “whoa, hey buddy, she’s gonna be fine.” When the fire monster looked at him, silently asking how he knew, he didn’t have a good answer. “trust me.” Sans’ hands curled into fists on the counter, wanting nothing more to reach out and comfort his friend. _He didn’t have that right_. Instead, Sans called Grillby’s name. “she’s going to be fine.”

“How do you know?” The elemental asked, his voice even rougher and on the edge of breaking. His flames had died down, looking paler than Sans had ever seen them.

Sans never meant to put this on his friend. He never wanted to hear that tone of voice come from him ever again. He never wanted to see him in this much panic and concern over his daughter. This was a mistake, coming here. The best he could do now was try and fix what damage he’d already created.

Giving Grillby a serious look, making sure he held eye contact with the man. “i know from the other times something like this has happened, the human never goes near her, never finds her. trust me on this, she’s going to be fine.” Sans knew it was a lot of insane information, and the simple fact that Grillby was taking it all in stride made him feel a little better.

The bartender nodded, the action slow and resigned. Grillby turned to Sans, looking more hopeless than the skeleton had ever seen him. The way he signed reflected that, his flames burning dimmer than normal. ‘ _Sans…what do we do?_ ’

Sans thought about that, leaning back on his stool and shoving his hands in his pockets again. “you? nothing.” Making a decision, he hopped off the stool and looked towards the door. “me? i’m going to fix my mistake.”

Grillby sparked, dark spot growing where his brows should furrow. ‘ _You’re not serious…?_ ’

His grin fell a little at that. The one time he’s not playing around, _of course_ he’s doubted. Really, he should have expected that coming, but it didn’t hurt any less. Sans’ face darkened, his eyes flicking to Grillby. “do i look like i’m joking?”

The bartender studied him a moment then sighed, pushing away from the counter. He nodded his head and then started to make his way around the bar. ‘ _Alright. Then I’m coming with you_.’

“ **N o**.” Sans almost flinched at his tone; he hadn’t meant it to sound so forceful. He wasn’t the only one taken off guard, Grillby jumping in place still behind the counter, looking at him a few shades lighter than before. The skeleton took a deep breath and tried again. “no. you need to stay here. get a hold of fuku, tell her to come home. make sure she’s safe.”

Sans knew it was a dirty trick, using Grillby’s daughter against him, but right now he didn’t see another choice available to him. He couldn’t…he pushed the thought out of his mind. Now wasn’t the time. _And he still didn’t have the right_. This was his best chance of getting Grillby to listen to him, and he was going to take whatever opportunity he could to keep the man safe.

Thinking that was the end of the conversation, Sans turned to leave, making his way to the door. He’d barely taken a few steps before he heard hissing whispers that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. The sound made him falter in his movements.

Ah. He must have taken it a step too far to make Grillby go off in his native tongue. Sans had listened to him talk enough in that language that he was able to pick out his name…and several colorful curses. Well, no help for it. His voice got stronger, and he knew that Grillby was closing in on him, the sound of the man’s shoes too loud in the near silent bar.

Sans was spun around by his coat sleeve, a strong warmth lingering against his bones. Oh, that’s why; Grillby was still holding onto him.

‘ _You expect me to just stay here and do nothing?_ ’ The bartender only let go of Sans’ sleeve to sign, the motions sharp and fluid. ‘ _While you go running off to get yourself killed?_ ’

That stung. Granted, no one knew what he was capable of, but still. Sans did his best to keep his posture relaxed and the lazy grin on his face, even though that was the farthest thing from the truth. “hey, have a little faith in these old bones.” He winked, but it only earned him a scowl. “they’ve never gotten past me before. i’ll be fine.”

Grillby rubbed at his face, his hand trailing through his flames. ‘ _Before…there’s been a before?_ ’ He seemed at a loss for how to continue, his hands fidgeting as he tried to create a follow up. Then, with slow, careful signs, he asked. ‘ _How many befores?_ ’

“yeah, i uh…i think we’ve been over this already.” Sans chuckled but it sounded strained and tired. “y’know, when we were over there? at the bar?” He waved his hand in that direction to make his point clear. He averted his gaze in hopes of ignoring the second part of the bartender’s question.

‘ _Sans…_ ’ Grillby signed, the movements telling Sans that he really wasn’t in the mood. ‘ _How many?_ ’

His silence was the most telling answer. Truly, he’d lost count how many times the human and he had done this song and dance, and to be honest he didn’t much care anymore. This was his own personal hell, and he was never getting out.

The bartender sighed, his flames darkening for a brief moment. ‘ _Please, let me help_.’

Sans huffed, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets. He was regretting coming here in the first place. “don’t worry about it, there’s nothing you can do.” He shrugged, the attempt at nonchalance falling flat, even to him. “it doesn’t matter anyway. it never does.”

Grillby sparked at that. ‘ _If it doesn’t matter, then why do you care?_ ’ The elemental watched Sans, his gaze pensive.

_because i can’t afford not to_. Sans winced at his own words, cursing himself when Grillby caught the expression. How did he explain that? How could he explain that if the human was allowed to continue on their path, not just monster kind, but the whole damn world was at risk. At risk of what, he still hadn’t figured out, but he knew it wasn’t good.

He realized he’d been quiet for a long time, one glance at Grillby telling him the man was still waiting for an answer. Well, he’d fucked up already, might as well make it worse. Maybe if Grillby was pissed enough with him, he’d be left alone, and then he wouldn’t have to worry. It was all going to reset anyway.

_Yeah, that’s a great plan_ …Sans shook his head, turning away from the bartender and started for the door. “look just…forget it.”

He knew he’d screwed up when the temperature spiked, and he couldn’t help the full bodied wince at the roaring heat. Sans heard more of Grillby’s colorful native tongue before he was roughly spun around again to face the fire monster.

“No.” Grillby spoke, his voice still worn and rusted sounding, but held a dangerous edge to it that froze Sans to the spot. With the skeleton’s attention fully on him, the bartender began to sign with sharp, furious motions. ‘ _You don’t get to drop this on me and then walk out of here like nothing happened.’_

“grillby…” Sans tried but the man ignored him.

_‘You don’t get to pretend that everything is fine when there’s a human going around killing every monster in the underground.’_

“grillby please…”

_‘You don’t just tell me that time has been repeating for gods know how long, and that no one remembers but you, and then just…act like it’s no big deal!_ ’ Grillby’s flames had been steady in their high temperature, but the flow had become more erratic the longer the man signed. His emotional state was written in his body language, his signing patterns, and his flames. Sans was both mesmerized and terrified.

The fire monster’s signs started to falter, his thoughts and emotions becoming disjointed, but his anger never ebbed. ‘ _So don’t tell me to forget it when it obviously bothers you so much_.’ Something else flashed across the man’s face when he stopped signing, but it was gone before Sans could catch it.

Sans rubbed at his face. This had already gone too far, and he really didn’t want to deal with it. _and it’s all my fault_. If only he hadn’t have been so _selfish_ …he tried to say something, anything, but nothing came out. He let out a frustrated noise from behind his hand before letting it drop to his side. Sans’ eyes darted to Grillby, still fired up and blazing. _heh, fired up…that’s a good one_.

He tried again and this time his voice worked. “look, i’m being serious when i say not to worry about it, about me…” Sans looked up at Grillby and this time held contact. “everything is just going to reset, no one will remember anything.” His gaze hardened, but he was looking past his friend rather than at him. “you won’t remember.” The skeleton shook his head and looked back down at the ground. “the human’s not gonna get past me.” _trust me, please_.

‘ _Then let me come with you and assure that they don’t_.’ His movements were still cutting, a hint of exasperation edging into them.

“No.” His eyes snapped to Grillby as the forceful tone left him, frustration clawing at his rib cage. Why couldn’t he just understand? If he was here, he was _safe_. Sans had already involved him enough, the man didn’t need to live through that fight as well. He didn’t want Grillby to see him like that…never like that. He turned to leave, stalking towards the door; he’d been here too long anyway.

“Why?” Grillby hissed from behind him, his voice louder than Sans had ever heard before.

“because i’m not losing the only other person i care about!” Sans shouted, whirling around on the fire monster and causing the man to jump. His sockets widening with realization, he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away, finding an interesting spot on the floor. He did his best to look nonchalant and uncaring, but the tenseness in his shoulders remained.

The silence hung heavy between them, neither moving or daring to make a sound fearing whatever lingered around them would shatter.

After what felt like an eternity and seconds at the same time, and for the fire monster’s color to change from the red he’d become to his normal color, Grillby spoke; a hand hovering awkwardly in front of him, as if the thought to reach out to Sans was only half formed. “…Sans.”

“heh.” He watched the bartender from the corner of his socket, but made no move to look at him. Shrugging his shoulders, his grin grew a little wider and more forced. “someone might as well know.” What did it matter if he told Grillby or not, everything was going to reset anyway once the human was dead, and he wouldn’t remember anything that happened here. Sans didn’t want to entertain the other way this could go, despite the niggling feeling crawling up his back.

So then why was he acting like this was the last time he’d be here? _well_ , he thought, _wouldn’t be the first thing to end up being screwy in this timeline._ He brought one of his hands up to his face to rub harshly down the front of his skull and sockets, trying to cover up his heavy sigh. “listen, grillbz, can we just…”

He was cut short when he felt the warm comfort of a hand on his shoulder. The contact had him whipping his skull in the direction of the heat, his sockets widening to see Grillby kneeling next to him. When had he gotten so close; shouldn’t he have seen the man move?

“Sans.” The fire elemental tried again, his voice much more gentle, waiting until he fully had the skeleton’s attention. _Gods_ , he didn’t think he’d ever get over hearing the man’s voice. Grillby spoke, but only the familiar sound of his natural language came out. Shaking his head, he rose his free hand and signed. ‘ _I am concerned. You said that the human has never gotten past you, yet you say that like you won’t come back.’_

_‘cause i have a bad feeling about this_. The thought made itself known in the back of his skull, but he kept it locked behind his teeth. Grillby _can’t_ know, if he did…Sans didn’t want to risk the bartender following him and getting hurt in the process. Despite his own fears, he needed to assuage the elemental’s so that he stayed safe.

Bolstering his own confidence, he reached up and placed his hand over Grillby’s, taking only a moment to marvel that his hand felt solid under his fingers, he gave the man his best reassuring smile. “look, it’ll be ok. no matter what happens i’ll come back, one way or another.”

Seeing the flicker of doubt and concern deepen in Grillby’s brow, he decided to pull out his secret weapon; one thing he knew would convince the bartender. “hey, how about i make that a promise.” He rose a brow ridge and his smile widened, becoming almost genuine. “and you know how i feel about those, right?”

Grillby’s grip on Sans’ shoulder tightened for a moment, his flame flickering a little brighter. ‘ _You promise to come back here._ ’ His signs were more of a statement then a question.

Sans could feel his smile falter for a second, the thought and feeling of _something_ fleeting, but regained his composure just as quick. His grin softened a fraction, seeing Grillby watching him expectantly. _ahh, so he had to say it then_. “i promise to come back.” _to you_ , went unsaid.

He made to pull away, his hand releasing the bartender’s, but was startled to find himself being pulling into an embrace with the fire monster. Grillby was comfortably warm, his arms wrapped around the skeleton made Sans feel safe. He laughed at himself; of course this would happen when he very well could be heading towards his death. Despite the worry building inside his ribcage, Sans returned the hug, burying himself into Grillby’s chest and allowing himself this moment. Selfish…he was _so selfish_.

Grillby let out a sigh when Sans returned the embrace, holding the smaller monster a little tighter. He could feel the elemental rest his chin on his shoulder, the flames almost nuzzling the side of his skull. Maybe it was the soft fur that lined his hoodie that the bartender was interested in; he also found the texture comforting to burrow into. But then he felt the man tilt his head; a gentle, warm pressure blooming on the side of his skull. His cheeks warmed, realizing what that was.

The sensation lingered a few moments more, the fire monster letting a warm breath out against Sans’ skull. “Remember, you promised.” Grillby’s soft lilting voice was right next to where his ear would be, and both the sound and sensation caused a shiver to run down his spine.

As much as he wanted to stay here until the world ended, he knew he couldn’t. There was still something he needed to take care of, before he went to meet the human. But at least he’d have this one last happy thought to carry with him into the fight. With a reluctant sigh, and nuzzle of his own into Grillby’s chest, he pulled away. It seemed that the bartender was just as loathe to let him go, but released Sans just the same.

As the elemental’s arms fell away from him, he allowed himself to catch one of the fiery hands in his own, to give it a gentle squeeze before letting it go completely. Taking a step back and towards the door, he watched Grillby stand up and dust off his outfit, despite the lack of anything on it. Sans could see the worry spot starting to come back between the man’s brow, and decided it was now or never.

Sticking his hands back into his pockets, he let the plastered grin spreading across his face become his mask once again. “i’ll see ya soon, alright?”

Grilby nodded slowly, his hands slow to sign. ‘ _You promised_.’

Something inside his ribcage gave a painful squeeze, but he ignored it. “yep. later grillby.”

Giving a last little wave, he turned around and pushed through the door, doing everything in his power to not look back. As soon as he was outside and confident the bartender wouldn’t see him teleporting away, he made the jump to Hotland.

He had a human to take care of.

* * *

Grillby paced behind the bar, wondering for the umpteenth time whether he should go after Sans or not. He’d already cleaned every glass in the building twice, as well as wiping the counter as many, if not more times. Thus, he’d finally settled on pacing to keep his nervous energy at bay.

It wasn’t helping.

A huge relief had been taken off his shoulders when he called Fuku and heard from her that she was alright. Apparently Alphys had sent out a warning via Undernet letting monsters know to stay inside, and not to go out until she’d given the all clear. His daughter was staying at a friend’s house until that time. Grillby had never been more grateful for the waste of time that was social networking.

While that was a major concern taken off his mind, there was still another lurking there: Sans. He still couldn’t believe he’d let the skeleton just…walk out. Even if he had promised to come back, it hadn’t stopped him from almost following after several times. Thus his continued pacing behind the bar. Grillby knew that if he were to take a step out from behind it, he’d be going out the door as well.

_He’d promised_. It still caught the fire monster off guard. Sans was right, he _never_ made promises. And for him to make a promise like that, after everything he’d been told? Grillby was still concerned, but he had faith in his friend that he would hold true to that. He didn’t want to think of the possibility that Sans only did that so he’d stay put and not follow. Especially after…

Grillby shook his head, trying to throw off the extra heat in his cheeks. Who was he to know, that after all these years of knowing each other there was a mutual attraction between the two of them. He’d never taken any of Sans’ joking pick up puns and flirting seriously, but perhaps he should have. Maybe they could have…no, he wasn’t going to think about that right now. He’d worry about that later, if Sans came back.

_No._ When _he came back._

_He_ promised.

He rested his elbows on the counter with a heavy sigh, his head falling into his hands. The glasses on his face became askew, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Grillby couldn’t stop the worry from churning in his core, the feeling turning into something akin to dread. It had been too long since Sans had left…surely he would have been back by now?

Just as the thought to follow after Sans crossed his mind again, the air around him filled with static, the sheer amount of magic making his flames prickle with apprehension. It felt like his core was being pulled towards the center of the restaurant, and for a brief moment he was almost jerked into the bar, but the moment was over before it really began. It was replaced by a flash of light and a burst of magic that filled the entirety of the room, pushing him back against the shelving behind the bar.

When his senses cleared, the magic that had built up inside the bar was ebbing away, the sound of something falling to the floor alerting the bartender. Blinking away the haze around his eyes, the feeling of his core jumping into his chest gripped him as the sight in front of him registered.

Hurdling over the bar, Grillby almost tripped in his haste to get to the fallen figure, dropping onto his knees when he’d reach him. “Sans!” _Oh Gods, he wasn’t moving, why wasn’t he moving?_ Without thought, the fire monster reached out and pulled the skeleton into his arms, cradling the smaller man against him. When he got a good look at his friend, his hope plummeted. “Sans…”

“heh…hey buddy.” Sans offered him a smile, but he could tell it was just a front.

The skeleton looked exhausted and drained of magic. His eyes were dim and tired, more tired than Grillby had ever seen them before, to the point he was having trouble picking them out. Sans’ breathing was labored, his bones rattling with every harsh intake of breath. But the most disturbing thing was the red liquid seeping from his cut and mangled ribs. The fire elemental could smell the coppery tang of it when his flames got too close.

His attention was pulled back to Sans’ face when he spoke again. “guess i was just…dying to see you.” The smile on the skeleton’s face grew, but the joke caused him to cough, more of that red liquid staining his teeth.

Grillby flamed, his worst fears being confirmed. “This is no time for jokes!” He hissed, the effort to speak taxing him. “You need to eat something _now_.” Fear and panic clawing at his core; he knew they didn’t have much time and if he waited too long…

Sans groaned in pain as the fire monster attempted to lift him, boney fingers gripping at Grillby’s vest. “n-no, don’t…grillby, _please_ …”

With a sigh he settled back onto the floor due to his friend’s protests, Sans still clinging to him. It almost gave him hope that the smaller monster still had enough strength to grip that hard. That hope was shattered when the grip weakened, Sans closing his eyes for a long time. The only thing keeping Grillby from full blown panic was the skeleton’s labored breathing. Flickering a sigh, the fire monster wiped away some of the sweat from Sans’ brow, the moisture evaporating as soon as he got close.

The touch caused the skeleton’s eyes to open, his pupils even more faded now. But it was enough for Grillby to speak. ‘ _Sans, you need to eat, or your body won’t have enough magic to hold together_.’

Sans chuckled, causing the elemental to flare again. “it doesn’t matter anyway, it’s all going to reset soon.”

Grillby’s grip tightened on the smaller monster for a moment. ‘ _The human?_ ’ He signed hesitantly, almost unsure if he wanted the answer or not.

“dead.” Sans smile widened a little at that. “told ya they wouldn’t get passed me…” He was cut off by another cough, his bones rattling from the force.

‘ _And what about you?_ ’ His signs were agitated, but he knew now wasn’t the time for an argument. ‘ _Sans…_ ’ Grillby signed, his gestures pleading. ‘ _You need to eat. I don’t…_ ’ he couldn’t finish the thought. Maybe if he didn’t finish it, it wouldn’t make it real. He almost jumped when he felt cool, boney fingers grip his hand.

“it’s ok.” Sans said, for a moment his eyes got a little brighter, looking at Grillby. His tone was gentle, the amount of reassurance in it almost choking the fire monster. Here Sans was, breathing his last, and comforting Grillby of all people when it should be the other way around. “it’s gonna be ok. this won’t last, and tomorrow you won’t even remember it happened.”

“That doesn’t…” Grillby’s tone was cutting, but lost it’s edge a moment later. “That doesn’t make this any better.” He looked down at the hand holding his own, his will to keep his hand solid flickering with his concentration. More than once Sans’ hand slipped partway through his own before he caught himself.

“no, i guess it doesn’t.” Sans admitted, giving a weak shrug that caused him to wince. “but uh, hey. at least i kept my promise, right?”

“Sans that isn’t funny.” Grillby scolded, but it lacked spirit. How dare he? How dare Sans for telling jokes and making light of this situation…it was no laughing matter. It was disheartening, that even in the end, Sans would still cover up his pain and despair with humor. Grillby felt sick thinking about it. His grip tightened on Sans, pulling the smaller monster against himself. “I don’t want to lose you.”

Grillby felt Sans nuzzling into his chest, and it made his core ache in a way he hadn’t known for a long time. He curled over the skeleton, so that Sans wouldn’t have to project more than he needed to with his failing strength.

“i’ll be back before ya know it.” Sans voice was barely a whisper now, his weight leaning heavy into Grillby. His sockets drooped closed, and his skull lulled into the fire monster’s chest. “see ya soon…grillbz…”

“Sans?” Grillby spoke, but he got no response. The hand he held had gone slack, falling limp in the skeleton’s lap when it phased through him. The elemental looked down at his friend, finding that he wasn’t breathing. In shock and panic, he nudged Sans, but when the monster didn’t respond, Grillby shook him. “Sans!” Terror gripped him and he desperately searched for any sign of life, any will of magic to keep him going, but found nothing.

It was in that moment that he realized what was happening; Sans’ body was starting to disintegrate, the particles of dust dropping away from his form as the magic that held him together faded. His dust spread on and around Grillby, crumbling through his hands and leaving him with nothing left but the worn, hooded jacket.

Grillby stared down at the piece of clothing, shock and disbelief hanging heavy in his core. With shaking hands he could only just keep concentration on, he brought the jacket closer to himself, before burying his face in the soft material. _Sans_. No, he was gone. This was all that was left of him. Just a pile of dust, his jacket and pants, and _those damned slippers_ …

His hands clenched, fisting into the material as it felt like his core was breaking apart. He should have followed after him, promise or not. Maybe if he’d gone, Sans would still be here, still be _alive_. It was all his damn fault for trusting Sans in the first place, despite the feeling in his core that told him otherwise. He should have tried harder, made more of a point to go with him…not backed down. And because he’d listened to Sans promise like an idiot…

Sans was _dead_.

And it was _all his fault_.

Grillby’s shoulders curled and tensed around the jacket in his hands, feeling the energy and magic building, _burning_ inside him. His flames licked and flickered with more aggression than what he’d felt in his lifetime, his body reacting to the ache that radiated from his core. He held it inside until he couldn’t control it anymore, and threw his head back with a terrible cry.

It was a pained, agonized wail that erupted from him, filled with sorrow and loss. The sound carried with it everything that he should have done, should have said and didn’t, and now would never get the chance to do so. A last ditch effort to call for help, to change the fate of the world, anything that would stop this horrible feeling from consuming him.

But nobody came.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I have a couple more ideas rolling around, but I don't know when I'll get around to them.


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